MPH, Health Policy Analysis and Evaluation

This information describes a program for students already enrolled in 2017 and earlier. Read about our new Maryland Experience MPH for students enrolling in 2018 and beyond.

The Master of Public Health (MPH) program in Health Policy Analysis and Evaluation is designed to train students as public health scientists and practitioners that focus practice and/or research activities on the understanding, analysis, evaluation, and development of health policy. This program prepares graduates to take leadership positions in government agencies, consulting companies, health care organizations such as hospitals, community clinics, or health systems corporations, as well as health policy research organizations.

The MPH concentration in Health Policy Analysis and Evaluation is unique in that it focuses not only on health care policies, but also on the analysis and evaluation of all policies that affect the public’s health, which include those related to public health organizations and other public policies in education, housing, nutrition, and environmental pollution, among others that have an impact on population health.

Students in the program benefit from the School of Public Health's location in the Washington, DC area, with its proximity to federal government agencies tasked with developing and implementing health policies, as well as the school's connections with the State of Maryland. Students in the Department of Health Administration have access to internships, capstone projects and post-graduation positions at federal and state agencies, as well as with the state legislature. These diverse student research and employment opportunities reflect the active collaborations amongst department faculty and federal, state, and local organizations, in addition to those with corporate and nongovernmental organizations.

Requirements

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in Health Policy Analysis and Evaluation is a 43-credit professional degree offered by the Department of Health Services Administration. The curriculum is adaptable to both a full and part-time student status.

Competencies

Upon completion of the MPH in Health Policy Analysis and evaluation program, students will be able to:

Apply understanding of the fundamental components of health care systems, delivery, and financing to assess the impact and consequences of various policy solutions, proposed laws, or regulation

​Assess programs and policies based on a varied set of values, including the influence of racial/ethnic disparities, diverse populations (i.e. language, disability, etc.) health care access, spending, quality, and the overall health and wellness of the population

Curriculum

The curriculum is adaptable to both a full and part-time student status. All MPH students with concentration in Health Policy Analysis and Evaluation will complete the following three modules:

Module

Description

Courses

Module 1

MPH core courses

5 courses

Module 2

Health policy elective cognate courses

At least 7 courses

Module 3

Seminar, internship, capstone (or thesis)

3 courses

For Module 2, the student, along with the advisor, chooses elective courses to meet the program competencies from the courses in the table below. With advisor’s approval, students may select at most two electives (up to 6 credits) from courses relevant to the study of health policy offered by other University of Maryland School of Public Health departments, as well as courses outside the school offered on the College Park campus, the University of Maryland Baltimore, the University of Maryland Baltimore County, or at other institutions in the Washington, DC area (through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area).

* Students completing a thesis (6 credits) instead of a capstone project (3 credits) can select to take one less elective cognate course to compensate for the 3 additional thesis credits.

Internship/Capstone/Thesis

The internship experience involves hands-on experience working and interacting with public health professionals. The purpose of the internship is to provide students with an opportunity to apply the concepts, strategies, and tools acquired through the course of their study. The goal of the MPH internship is to have a practical public health experience that provides mentoring, contact with public health professionals, and the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way. All students are required to obtain an internship experience as part of the MPH program, regardless of prior experience.

In addition to the internship, all students must choose to complete an applied capstone project or a research thesis as the culminating experience of the program. These experiences are student-led and require synthesis and integration of knowledge acquired in coursework, internship, or other learning experiences.

There are numerous opportunities to obtain the internship and capstone. The broad array of settings may include community health agencies, local, state, and federal public health agencies, non-profit organizations, as well as research and health policy organizations throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area.